Primary syphilis is the first stage of infection with the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis, an infectious disease that is mainly transmitted through unprotected sex, i.e. without a condom, so it is considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
This first phase of the disease is characterized by the appearance of a wound that does not hurt, sting or cause discomfort, in addition to disappearing naturally without requiring any treatment, so it is common that syphilis is not treated during this period, that was ideal, circulated bacteria in the body and reached other organs, resulting in the appearance of symptoms related to secondary and tertiary syphilis.Learn more about syphilis.
- Symptoms of primary syphilis usually appear about 3 weeks after contact with the bacteria.
- Which may be due to unprotected sex and direct contact with the lesions characteristic of this stage of the disease.
- Primary syphilis is characterized by the development of an injury called hard cancer.
- Which has the following characteristics:.
Hard cancer usually begins with a small pink mass, but easily turns into a red ulcer, with hardened edges and transparent secretion.
Although hard cancer is very characteristic of the disease, it is often not identified by the location that appears, or does not matter much because it does not hurt or cause discomfort and disappears after 4 to 5 weeks without leaving scars.
However, even with the disappearance of hard cancer, this does not mean that the bacteria has been removed from the body and that there is no risk of transmission, on the contrary, the bacteria reaches circulation and goes to other parts of the body by proliferating, which is always possible, its transmission during unprotected sex, and leading to other symptoms , such as swelling of the tongue, appearance of red spots on the skin, especially on the hands, headache, fever and discomfort.symptoms of syphilis.
Diagnosis of primary syphilis is very important, as treatment may be initiated immediately afterwards, preventing bacteria from multiplying and spreading throughout the body and also preventing complications, so it is recommended that as soon as the person notices the appearance of a wound in the genital, or oral area that does not hurt or itch , go to the gynecologist, urologist, infectious disease or family doctor for evaluation.
If the person has had a risky behavior, i.e. he or she has had condom-free sex, your doctor may order a syphilis test, which is the rapid test and non-treponemic test, also known as VDRL.It is possible to know if the person has infection with the bacterium Treponema pallidum and in what amount, which is given by the VDRL test, it is important that the doctor defines the treatment.Understand what the VDRL exam is and how to interpret the result.
Treatment of syphilis should be initiated as soon as the partner is diagnosed and should be performed by the couple, even in the absence of symptoms, as the bacteria can remain in the body for years without causing signs or symptoms.Treatment is usually done with antibiotic injections, usually penicillin benzatin; However, in some cases, your doctor may recommend the use of doxycycline or tetracycline.
The treatment time and dose of the medicine vary depending on the severity and timing of bacterial contamination.To better understand how syphilis is treated.
See also more information about syphilis in the following video: